Keleasable pipe engaging spear



Jan. 24, 1956 D. A. SIRACUSA 2,732,249

RELEASABLE PIPE ENGAGING SPEAR Filed sept. 2e, 1952 2,732,249 RELEASABLE PIPE ENGAGING SPEAR Dante A. Siracusa, Huntington Beach, Calif. Appliaon september 26, 1952, serial No. 311,@7

6 claims. (ci. 294-96) This invention is an improvement on my Patent No. 2,539,039, issued January 23, 1951, for an Oil Well Fishing Spear, Aand this invention also relates to an oil well s'hihg toolwhereby a lost section of pipe may be recovered from an oil well. The type of tool herein disclosed is commonly termed a spear. If the lost section of pipe (thevsh) cannotb'e removed from the well, my spearcan be readily released and withdrawn from the well without injury to the tool. The tool is run into the well and the toothed members thereof (slips) t on the inside of the lost or broken pipe and these slips are then expanded against the inside of the pipe and thereafter, upon `exerting an upward pull, the iish is loosened and brought to the surface. n l Ari object of my invention is to provide a .novel means of retaining 'the lower end of the slips in proper relation ,to the central portion of the tool, 'that is, the mandrel portion. This retaining means being so constructed that debris, dirt and the like will not accumulate therein.

Another object of my invention is to provide a safety ring which is arranged between the slips and the bottom nut of the tool. This safety ring insuring that the tool will not 'enter a section of pipe unless that pipe is of proper diameter to be engaged by the slips of the tool. The slips also have a limited outward movement due to bottom retainer construction.

A feature of my invention resides in the combination of a safety ring which is mounted on, or adjacent to, the

bottom nut of thatto'ol and this safety ring 'can be used in combination with a pack-olf ring or cup, or an annular cutter termed a mill, or a combination of both a packoif and a mill. v Other objects, advantages and features of invention may appear from the accompanying drawing, the subjoined detailed description and the appended claims.

In the drawing:i

Figure l is a side elevation of my releasable pipe engaging spear with parts broken away to show interior construction.

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken on line 2--2 of Figure` .1. l Y A Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line 3-3 of Figure 1f.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary longitudinal sectional View of the lower portion of my tool showing the unitizer and retainer for the lower end of the slips.

Figure "3 is fa top plan view of the unitizer or bottom sleeve construction;

v. kFigure 6 :is a fragmentary side view of the bottom sleeve construction. i c

.Figure 7 is a fragmentary side View of a modified form ofbqttom sleeve construction.

Referring more particularly to the drawing, this invention relates primarily to an improvement in the lower portion of the tool, the slips themselves, the mandrel, the method of hanging or supporting the slips at their upper ends, all shown and described in my prior Patent A.United States Patent O ICC No. 2,539,039. However, this similar construction will again be described, at least in part.

My iishing spear 1 comprises a coupling 2 which screws onto or into a string or pipe upon which the tool is run. The coupling 2 is threaded as shown at 3 to receive this pipe. A mandrel 4 depends from the coupling 2 and is threaded at its lower end to screw into a bottom nut 5. This bottom nut 5 acts as a guide to direct the tool into the lost section of pipe, termed the fish. The mandrel 4 is a long tubular part which runs practically the entire length of the tool from the coupling 2 at the upper end to the mit 5 at the bottom.

The middle section of the mandrel 4 is formed with a plurality of super-imposed tapered seats 6, and the purpose of these seats is to cam the slips outwardly, as will be further described. A plurality of slips 7 (here shown as three) surround the mandrel 4 and rest on the seats 6. These slips are each formed with external teeth or wickers, all of which is usual and well known in this art.

A plurality of spring detents 8 are mounted in the mandrel 4 and engage the inner surface of the slips 7 and press these slips outwardly, particularly when the slips are in a raised posit-ion, that is, when they are retracted to their fullest extent. The spring detents 8 yieldably press the slips 7 outwardly so that when the tool is pushed into the lost pipe or fish, the slips will be yieldably pressed into engagement with the inner surface of the lost pipe and will thus be held stationary with a frctional grip to permit the remainder of the tool, particularly the mandrel 4, to move vertically, and also to be rotated relative to the slips.

The coupling 2 is formed with a depending annular apron `9 and each of the slips 7 are provided with an upwardly extending blade 10 which project under the apron 9 and serve as guides or retainers for the upper part of the slips and prevent these slips from falling outwardly before the tool has been inserted in the lost pipe. The slips 7 are formed with inner cam surfaces 11 which engage the cam surfaces 6, all of which is again usual and well known in the art.

c When the 'shing tool is run into a well it is necessary that the slips 7 shall be held in a raised position relative to the cams 6 on the mandrel 4, and in which position they are compressed to a minimum diameter. In this position the tool can be inserted into the lost pipe. If the tool should be forced into a pipe of too small diam eter,A then the slips 7 could not be compressed and, consequently, the spear would be permanently stuck in Vthe lost pipe, causing great damage to the well. To overcome this possibility, and to be sure that the spear will enter a `section of pipe of proper diameter, I provide a safety ring 12 which is mounted, above the nut 5 adjacent the upper end thereof. This safety ring projects beyond the outer surface of the nut and if the pipe should be of too small a diameter, then the ring 12 will rest on top of the pipe and the balance of the tool cannot enter. Thus if the safety ring 12 will enter the pipe, it is assured that the pipe is of proper diameter so that the` slips '7 can both expand and/contract for the purpose of engaging and dis/engaging that pipe.

If it 'is desired to smooth the upper end of the iish, the safety ring 12 may also be provided with an annular cutter `or mill 13 which will cut olf any burrs or rough Iprojections onthe top of the fish. Also the `safety ring groove 16 into which the lug 15 may be moved, thus holding the slips 7 in their raised position.

At the lower end of the mandrel 4, I provide a key 17 which acts to support-the slips 7 at their lower end in the following manner: A sleeve or unitizer 18 surrounds the mandrel 4 and the slips 7 are all attached to this unitizer in the following manner: Each of the slips 7 is provided with an L-shaped finger 19 which fits into a bayonet shaped slot 20 in the unitizer. A ring 21 surrounds the sleeve or unitizer 18 and is movable longitudinally on this unitizer. In its raised position the ring 21 covers the finger 19 and thus holds the finger in its slot 20, thereby holding the slips 7 in their proper relation to each other and also insuring that the slips will move vertically simultaneously. The finger 19 is also provided with an outwardly projecting boss 22 and the upper end of the unitizer 18 is formed with a fiange 23, this iiange having slots 24 cut therein to receive the bosses 22. Ihus when the bosses fit in the slots 24, the slips 7 will also be held against rotation relative to each other, and thus will be properly spaced at all times.

A step 2S is cut in the bottom of the sleeve 18 and this step is adapted to receive the key 17, thus holding the slips 7 in their raised position and supplementing the locking lugs previously described. The ring 21 is held in its raised position to hold the fingers 19 in position by means of a set screw 26. Releasing this set screw permits the ring to be dropped downwardly, thus enabling the slips 7 to be disassembledfrom their position on the mandrel 4, if this is desirable or necessary.

In operation my tool is lowered into the well with the slips 7 in their raised position, that is, the lugs 15 are in the bayonet slots 16 and the key 17 rests in the step 25. The spring detents 8 press the slips outwardly and when the fish is reached the safety ring 12 first enters this fish. If the ring 12 will easily enter, then the tool is lowered until the slips 7 are positioned within the lost pipe or fish to the desired depth. The mandrel 4 is now rotated so that the lugs 15 can be moved out of the bayonet slot 16 and also the key 17 moves out of the step 25. The slips 7 are still frictionally engaging the inside of the fish. The mandrel 4 can now be moved upwardly and this cams the slips 7 outwardly so that the teeth or wickers will bite into the lost pipe and permitting the pipe to be removed on upward movement of the fishing string and spear.

To release the spear from the fish it is necessary to first bump downwardly with the full weight of the fishing string, then rotate the fishing string so that the lugs 15 again enter the bayonet slot 16 and the key 17 enters the step 25. The slips 7 are now engaging the narrowest part of the cams 6 and are thus retracted. By pulling upwardly on the fishing string the spear will clear the lost pipe or fish. The safety ring 12 is preferably somewhat larger in outside diameter than the outside diameter of the completely retracted slips 7. Thus, if the ring 12 will enter a fish, it is an assurance that the slips 7 can be sufficiently retracted to disengage the fish, if necessary.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on the mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, releasable means engaging the upper ends of each of the slips releasably holding the slips in raised position, a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and positioned below the slips, a finger on each of the slips at the lower end thereof, means on the sleeve engaged by the nger to attach the sleeve to the slip.

2. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, releasable means engaging the upper ends of each of the slips releasably holding the slips in raised position, a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and positioned below the slips, a finger on each of the slips at the lower end thereof, means'on the sleeve engaged by the finger to attach the sleeve to the slip, and a ring mounted on the sleeve and engageable with the finger in one position of the ring to hold the finger in engagement with the sleeve.

3. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on the mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, releasable means engaging the upper ends of each of the slips releasably holding the slips in raised position, a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and positioned below the slips, a finger on each of the slips at the lower end thereof, means on the sleeve engaged by the finger to attach the sleeve to the slip, a key on the mandrel adjacent the lower end thereof, said sleeve having a step therein to receive the key in raised position of the sleeve.

4. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on the mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, releasable means engaging the upper ends of each of the slips releasably holding the slips in raised position, a sleeve slidably mounted on the mandrel and positioned below the slips, a finger on each of the slips at the lower end thereof, means on the sleeve engaged by the finger to attach the sleeve to the slip, and a ring mounted on the sleeve and engageable with the finger in one position of the ring to hold the finger in engagement with the sleeve, a key on the mandrel adjacent the lower end thereof, said sleeve having a step therein to receive the key in raised position of the sleeve.

5. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on the mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, a bottom nut mounted on the lower end of the mandrel and a safety ring, said safety ring being of greater diameter than the diameter of the slips in the contracted position of the slips, said safety ring entering the pipe of correct diameter to insure correct entrance of the slips into the pipe, said slips projecting beyond the outer surface of the safety ring to engage the pipe in the extended position of said slips.

6. A releasable pipe engaging spear comprising a coupling, a mandrel depending from the coupling, tapered cam seats on the mandrel, a plurality of slips surrounding the mandrel and resting on the cam seats, a bottom nut mounted on the lower end of the mandrel and a safety ring mounted on the spear and arranged between said slips and said nut, said safety ring being of greater diameter than the diameter of the slips in the contracted position of the slips, said safety ring entering a pipe of correct diameter to insure correct entrance of the slips into the pipe, said slips projecting beyond the outer surface of the safety ring to engage the pipe in the extended position of said slips.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,013 Leach Mar. 25, 1930 1,801,653 Berry Apr. 21, 1931 1,813,459 Miller July 7, 1931 2,539,039 Siracusa Jan. 23, 1951 

